Clancy thought I had a story worth telling, and he invited me and three fellow commanders from Desert Storm each to do a book on command with him. This is the first of four, and I feel privileged to bat lead-off.
The book is, strictly speaking, not a history book, although it has taken over two years of intense personal research to compile much of the material. Much source material came from interviews and from former JAYHAWKS who volunteered because they wanted the VII Corps story to be told. In doing so, we have attempted to be as historically accurate as possible.
This is a long book, yet even so, much has been left out. One area in which I feel a particular lack is in the story of Vietnam and Cambodia. Editorial decisions did not permit us to go as deeply or as emotionally into that story as I felt was necessary. Because I continue to feel a tight bond with all those who served there, that is left for me to tell in my own voice in another venture. There are other areas. The rebirth of the U.S. Army from the 1970s to the late 1980s is a good-news American story that has many lessons for all government agencies. We only scratched the surface. The actual deployment, then redeployment, to and from Saudi Arabia was an enormous logistics feat and deserves much fuller treatment, especially our deployment from Germany and the role of NATO nations. Actions in Washington by the Department of the Army during Desert Storm are a model of how Goldwater-Nichols 1986 envisioned military service departments working in a crisis, yet we could mention that only in passing. Finally, to show the intensity of the ground war, we included descriptions of some combat actions by VII Corps U.S. and British soldiers and commanders who fought those actions. More of the ground action needs to be told and shown. In other areas we did our best.
The views we have expressed are ours and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.
Tom and I wanted to tell a story of battle command and the good-news story of what our Army and our soldiers have done in service to the nation. It was never our intention to invite controversy. Yet I did get a lot of incoming fire when I was still on active duty, and I was not at liberty to return it. So if anyone is offended, we meant nothing personal. What happened, happened. I believe we are all entitled to our own opinions, but not our own facts. We accept responsibility for facts we used; if we are in error, it is an error of omission and not intended. Quotations are as accurate as I recall them to be or as our notes would indicate. The sense, if not the actual words, I believe to be correct.
I have many to thank for this book.
Let me begin with my immediate family. My wife, Denise, of now almost thirty-eight years. My best friend. An Army wife who always lent an ear to listen and a heart to care. Whose goal in life has always been to make people feel better about themselves. A woman of incredible courage and toughness. Who has been patient with me beyond belief over the two years' work on this book, day after day. I do not have enough of a lifetime left to thank her enough. Our daughter, Margie, who is a mother of three — Jake, Mick, and Denise — and an Army wife. Who has her own brand of courage. Who is also a talented and published author. And who reviewed and helped with the manuscript. To her soldier husband, Lieutenant Colonel Greg Bozek, former Blackhorse, SAMS graduate, and friend, who helped me with my memory of events and with manuscript review.
To Tom Clancy for his friendship and for the opportunity to tell this story with him; who has coached me in my attempts to be a writer; and who challenged me again and again to open up and talk about command to my fellow soldiers and to those who send America's Army their sons and daughters. To the editors at Putnam, most particularly publisher and editor in chief Neil S. Nyren, for advice on book organization, patience with my sometimes military prose in portions of the book, and for listening to my arguments on voice and on relevance of material. To Mr. Tony Koltz, writer in his own right, and daily collaborator, writing counselor, and whose questions drove me to greater depths of thought on command and maneuver warfare. To Mr. Marty Greenberg for advice and counsel. To our agent at William Morris, Robert Gottlieb, who helped me navigate this publishing terrain and get to this objective.
To my parents: Dad, now in his eighties, and Mom, gone now but never forgotten, for getting me and my younger sister, Frances, and brother, Farrell, started right in life. My hometown, West Wyomissing, near Reading, Pennsylvania, a great place to grow up and where the values of duty and teamwork ruled over self, values vital to my own later command beliefs. My uncle, Harry Franks, who taught me and a bunch of kids in hand-me-down jeans (dungarees in those days) a life's lesson in how to compete and win, when we won a county baseball championship in 1950 over a better-uniformed but less-skilled baseball team. That fierce desire to win, gained from sports, was also valuable to me as a commander. Denise's mother, Eva, and her dad, Harry, also gone now but both remembered for their support in our Valley Forge days. The best man at our wedding, my lifelong buddy and high school teammate, Dr. Carl Hassler, whose continuing courage in battling cancer three times in quiet dignity and with steel will reflects the best qualities you could ever find in a person and a friend. He and his wife, Betsy, were there for us in those dark days of our Valley Forge, and have been since.
My bigger family, the United States Army, which let me remain on active duty and continue to serve, despite the loss of my left leg below the knee. Those who helped me do that and gave me encouragement. Those soldiers and leaders in the VII Corps, JAYHAWKS; Blackhorse, 11th Cavalry; Brave Rifles, 3rd Cavalry; 7th Army Training Command; 1st Armored Division, Iron Soldiers; and TRADOC, who asked only that I do my duty as a commander for them and never let me look back. I was inspired by their sense of duty and the intense loyalty born of service in peace and war together. To my many mentors: soldiers, NCOs, and officers who underwrote my mistakes and helped me be a better soldier. Current Army leadership, Secretary of the Army Togo West and Army Chief, General Dennis Reimer.
Those of my fellow soldiers who gave me advice and helped with material.
Colonel (Ret.) Dr. Rick Swain, whose insights on the manuscript and research help were invaluable and whose own book,
My JAYHAWK major unit command team from Desert Storm. U.S. division commanders, Butch Funk, Ron Griffith, Tom Rhame, and John Tilelli, who consented to interviews and helped me remember facts and decisions and even read manuscripts. Together with Rupert Smith, they made a talented team of division commanders who led from the front and did all I asked of them and more. Don Holder, who provided the rich source of 2nd ACR materials and who led his fast-hitting 'Dragoons' into combat. Bob McFarlin, VII Corps logistician, who provided logistics accounts and whose COSCOM did a remarkable job supplying the corps. VII Corps Command Sergeant Major Bob Wilson, whom I first met in those early 1960s days in the Blackhorse.
My separate brigade commanders in VII Corps: Johnnie Hitt, Rich Pomager, Sam Raines, Jo Rusin, Russ Dowden, John Smith, and Rich Walsh, who provided perspective and material. Corps artillery commander, Creighton Abrams. Close members of my VII Corps personal staff, Toby Martinez, Violet McInerney, Russ Mulholland, Dave St. Pierre, and Lance Singson. VII Corps Base in Germany: Major General (Ret.) Roger Bean and Brigadier General Jerry Sinn.
What a command team!
There were many others in the Department of the Army and the Defense Department who reviewed manuscripts or who provided their own accounts or information on their part of Desert Storm. Some are cited in the list of references; some here. I regret if we missed anyone.
Logisticians Cary Allen, Jim Chambers, Bob Shadley, and Mike Stafford. Intelligence help from Colonel Keith Alexander, Colonel John Davidson (VII Corps G-2), Brigadier General John Smith, and Major General (Ret.) John Stewart. My great planners, Colonel Tom Goedkoop and Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Bob Schmitt, who helped my memory stay accurate. Colonel Mike Kendall, John Yeosock's wartime executive officer and to whom John referred me for accuracy in relating my dealings with him and Third Army. Steve Arnold, G-3 Third Army (and lieutenant general who went on to command Third Army until his recent retirement), who drove the CENTCOM planning work until January 1991, and who devised the Third Army two-corps attack plan. His interview and source material that included perspectives on planning and conduct of the war were invaluable. Brigadier General Jack Mountcastle and Mr. Robert K. Wright at the Center of Military History, U.S. Army. U.S. Army Public Affairs, especially Brigadier General Gil Meyer, Colonel Gene Thornton, Ms. Pamela Carter, Mr. Jim Hill, and Lieutenant Colonel Carl Kropf in
